A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a
deity and a
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "
divine spark" (
spiritual enlightenment
Used in a religious sense, enlightenment translates several Glossary of Buddhism, Buddhist terms and concepts, most notably ''bodhi'', ''kensho,'' and ''satori''. Related terms from Asian religions are ''kaivalya'' and ''moksha'' (liberation) in ...
). An
immortal demigod(-dess) often has
tutelary status and a
religious cult following, while a
mortal demigod(-dess) is one who has fallen or died, but is popular as a
legendary hero
A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore; a ...
in various
polytheistic religions. Figuratively, it is used to describe a person whose talents or abilities are so superlative that they appear to approach being divine.
Etymology
The
English term "
demi-god" is a
calque
In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...
of the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
word , "half-god".
The Roman poet
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the ...
probably
coined ''semideus'' to refer to less important gods, such as
dryads.
[
]
Compare the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
''hemitheos''.
Classical
In the ancient Greek and Roman world, the concept of a demigod did not have a consistent definition and associated terminology rarely appeared.
The earliest recorded use of the term occurs in texts attributed to the
archaic Greek poets
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...
and
Hesiod. Both describe dead heroes as , or "half gods". In these cases, the word did not literally mean that these figures had one parent who was divine and one who was mortal.
Instead, those who demonstrated "strength, power, good family, and good " were termed
heroes, and after death they could be called ''hemitheoi'', a process that has been referred to as "heroization".
Pindar
Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar i ...
also used the term frequently as a synonym for "hero".
According to the Roman author
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
, the
Roman Senate
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
declared
Julius Caesar a demigod after his 46 BCE victory at
Thapsus.
However, Dio was writing in the third century CE — centuries after the death of Caesar — and modern critics have cast doubt on whether the Senate really did this.
The first Roman to employ the term "demigod" may have been the poet
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the ...
(17 or 18 CE), who used the Latin several times in reference to minor deities.
The poet
Lucan (39-65) also uses the term to speak of
Pompey attaining divinity upon his death in 48 BCE.
In later antiquity, the Roman writer
Martianus Capella ( 410-420) proposed a hierarchy of gods as follows:
[
]
* the gods proper, or
major gods
* the ''
genii'' or
daemones
* the demigods or ''semones'' (who dwell in the upper atmosphere)
* the ''
manes'' and ghosts of heroes (who dwell in the lower atmosphere)
* the earth-dwelling gods like
fauns and satyrs
Celtic
The Celtic warrior
Cú Chulainn, a major protagonist in the Irish
national epic the ''
Táin Bo Cuailnge'', ranks as a
hero or as a demigod.
He is the son of the
Irish god Lugh
Lugh or Lug (; ga, label= Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The ...
and the mortal princess
Deichtine.
In the immediate pre-Roman period, the celtic Gallaceian tribe in Portugal made powerful, large stone
statues of deified local heroes, which stood on hill forts in the mountainous regions of - what is today - Northern Portugal and Galicia.
Hinduism
In
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...
, the term demigod is used to refer to deities who were once human and later became ''
devas'' (gods). There are two notable demigods in
Vedic Scriptures:
Nandi (the divine vehicle of
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
), and
Garuda (the divine steed of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...
).
[, Quote: "His vehicle was Garuda, the sun bird" (p. 21); "(...) Garuda, the great sun eagle, (...)" (p. 74)] Examples of demigods worshiped in South India are
Madurai Veeran and
Karuppu Sami.
The heroes of the Hindu epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
, the five
Pandava brothers, fit the Western definition of demigods though they are generally not referred to as such. Queen
Kunti, the wife of King
Pandu, was given a mantra that, when recited, meant that one of the Gods would give her his child. When her husband was cursed to die if he ever engaged in sexual relations, Kunti used this mantra to provide her husband with children fathered by various deities. These children were
Yudhishthira (child of
Dharmaraj
Yama ( sa, यम), also known as Kala, and Dharmaraja is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Yamapuri. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personificatio ...
),
Bhima (child of
Vayu) and
Arjuna (child of
Indra). She taught this mantra to Madri, King Pandu's other wife, and she immaculately conceived twin boys named
Nakula and
Sahadeva (children of the
Ashvins). Queen Kunti had previously conceived another son,
Karna, when she had tested the mantra out. Despite her protests,
Surya the sun god was compelled by the mantra to impregnate her.
Bhishma is another figures who fits the western definition of demigod, as he was the son of king
Shantanu and Goddess
Ganga.
The Vaishnavites (who often translate deva as "demigod") cite various verses that speak of the devas' subordinate status. For example, the Rig Veda (1.22.20) reads, "''oṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ''", which translates to, "All the suras
.e., the devaslook always toward the feet of Lord Vishnu". Similarly, in the Vishnu Sahasranama, the concluding verses, read, "The Rishis
reat sages the ancestors, the devas, the great elements, in fact, all things moving and unmoving constituting this universe, have originated from Narayana," (i.e., Vishnu). Thus the Devas are stated to be subordinate to Vishnu, or God.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement". Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a repr ...
, the founder of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) translates the Sanskrit word "deva" as "demigod" in his literature when the term referred to a God other than the
Supreme Lord. This is because the ISKCON tradition teaches that there is only one Supreme Lord and that all others are but His servants. In an effort to emphasize their subservience, Prabhupada uses the word "demigod" as a translation of ''deva''. However, there are at least three occurrences in the eleventh chapter of Bhagavad-Gita where the word ''deva,'' used in reference to Lord
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
, is translated as "Lord". The word ''deva'' can be used to refer to the Supreme Lord, celestial beings, and saintly souls depending on the context. This is similar to the word ''
Bhagavan
Bhagavan ( sa, भगवान्, Bhagavān; pi, Bhagavā, italics=yes), also spelt Bhagwan (sometimes translated in English as " Lord"), is an epithet within Indian religions used to denote figures of religious worship. In Hinduism it is u ...
'', which is translated according to different contexts.
China
Among the demigods in
Chinese mythology,
Erlang Shen and
Chen Xiang
Chen Xiang (born 13 December 1989), also known as Sean Chen, is a Chinese pop singer and actor. He participated in the nationwide singing contest '' Super Boy'' in 2010. In 2011, he released his first album ''Confession''. He is also known for ...
are most prominent. In the
Journey to the West, the
Jade Emperor's younger sister
Yaoji is mentioned to have descended to the mortal realm and given birth to a child named Yang Jian. He would eventually grow up to become a deity himself known as Erlang Shen.
Chen Xiang is nephew of Erlang Shen, birth by his younger sister
Huayue Sanniang Huayue Sanniang (), also known as Sanshengmu (), is a Chinese goddess who possesses a magical lotus lantern. She is a goddess of marriage and love in the Chinese folk religion.
Legends
According to a legend, Huayue Sanniang is the daughter of the ...
who married with a mortal scholar.
Japan
Abe no Seimei, a famous
onmyōji from the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...
was supposed to be one. His father, Abe no Yasuna (安倍 保名), was human. Still, his mother
Kuzunoha, was a
Kitsune, a divine fox, being this the origin of Abe no Seimei's magical prowress.
Anitism
In the indigenous religions originating from the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, collectively called
Anitism, demigods abound in various ethnic stories. Many of these demigods equal major gods and goddesses in power and influence. Notable examples include Mayari, the Tagalog moon goddess who governs the world every night,
[Notes on Philippine Divinities, F. Landa Jocano] Tala, the Tagalog star goddess,
Hanan, the Tagalog morning goddess,
Apo Anno, a Kankanaey demigod hero, Oryol, a Bicolano half-snake demi-goddess who brought peace to the land after defeating all beasts in Ibalon, Laon, a Hiligaynon demigod who can talk to animals and defeated the mad dragon at Mount Kanlaon, Ovug, an Ifugao thunder and lightning demigod who has separate animations in both the upper and earth worlds, Takyayen, a Tinguian demigod and son of the star goddess Gagayoma, and the three Suludnon demigod sons of Alunsina, namely Labaw Dongon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap.
[Hinilawod: Adventures of Humadapnon, chanted by Hugan-an and recorded by Dr. F. Landa Jocano, Metro Manila: 2000, Punlad Research House, ]
Polynesian
Samoan
Tongan
Māori
Māui
Hawaii
Māui
Modern use
The term demigod first appeared in English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, when it was used to render the Greek and Roman concepts of and daemon.
Since then, it has frequently been applied figuratively to people of extraordinary ability.
John Milton states in ''
Paradise Lost'' that
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...
s are demigods.
In ''
Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series'', based on the
1997 film, while the title character was only referred to as a mortal in the film, he was referred to as a demigod in the series. He also had cousins appear in the series, like Triton, the son of Poseidon.
In ''
Inuyasha'' franchise, the
Nintendo DS video game ''
Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel'', in the Heian period, a human named Tsugumi and fell in love with a god named Datara and gave birth to a demigod daughter. After Tsugumi
killed her child from the hands of Gorai and the demon mask have been put on her husband as she sealed him by using the Lightning Sealing Arrow during the interruption of Tsugumi's and Datara's wedding ceremony in 1000 AD, it
reincarnated to American girl named Janis. In ''
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'', in the
Sengoku period
The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Variou ...
, a human named Oharu who fell in love with a god named Mahiruma and gave birth to a demigod son named Goro.
In ''
The Mummy Returns
''The Mummy Returns'' is a 2001 American adventure horror film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez, Freddie Boath, Alun Armstrong, ...
'', a man named
Mathayus the Scorpion King have been nearly dead in the
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
Desert, and he was forced to make a deal with
Anubis, where he would give Anubis his soul if Anubis helped him defeat his enemies. Anubis fulfilled his part of the deal and helped Mathayus destroy Thebes, providing him with command of his army of Anubis Warriors, jackal-headed warriors that can only be killed by beheading. Afterwards Anubis transformed Mathayus into a
centaurid scorpion-monster possessing a humanoid head and torso with scorpion claws and main body in place of his hands and legs, condemned to serve him for all time as a demigod.
Demigods are important figures in
Rick Riordan's ''
Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' books, in which many of the characters, including the
titular character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
himself, are demigods. In Riordan's work, a demigod is defined as an individual born of one human and one divine parent.
In ''
Moana'' the 2016 film,
Maui have been abandoned by his human parents as a baby, the gods took pity on him and made him a demigod and gave him a magic fish hook that gives him the ability to
shape-shift. In the song "Shiny" composed by
Lin-Manuel Miranda and
Mark Mancina, Tamatoa called Maui "Ya little semi-demi-mini-god".
See also
*
Chinese demigods
*
Christ myth theory
*
Greek hero cult
Hero cults were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. In Homeric Greek, " hero" (, ) refers to the mortal offspring of a human and a god. By the historical period, however, the word came to mean specifically a ''dead'' ...
*
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
*
List of demigods
This is a list of notable offspring of a deity with a mortal, in mythology and modern fiction. Such entities are sometimes referred to as demigods, although the term "demigod" can also refer to a minor deity, or great mortal hero with god-like v ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Greek mythology